I'd interpret the questions as a display of interest rather than a failure on anybody's part. As long as we're making the games and hammering out the details, I feel like we're making progress. I'd be more concerned if nobody was asking for clarifications, especially with a lot of newer users wanting to enter. (Like me! Still three months from coding for NES for a year)

From what I recall last time the requirement last compo was <=64KB and compatible with mapper 28. All category 1 entries choose to utilize NROM. I figured we'd keep with that and not limit people to NROM and CHR-ROM. The 8-32KB of chr-ram available on the cartridge would be available to anyone who chose to make use of the available hardware. If collectively we feel that last compo's requirements were too confusing and we are better off to strictly limit to NROM that's fine, I'm just curious If there is other logic behind that thought.

From a multi game menu creation use of chr-ram by entries would make the multi rom creation simpler, perhaps it's not that significant though. We would need Tepples input if from his past efforts.

_________________If you're gonna play the Game Boy, you gotta learn to play it right. -Kenny Rogers

Solar Wars was mapper hacked from CNROM to UNROM because at the time, it was easier than adding full CNROM support to the builder and adding a larger CHR RAM to the cartridge board. Where the original game switched CHR ROM pages, the UNROM version would switch to bank 0 or 1, blank the screen, decompress one of the game's four 8K pattern table pages to CHR RAM, and switch bank to bank 2 where the code was. This effort also exposed and corrected stack overflow bugs in the movement code.

But if a compelling CNROM game uses rapid CHR bank switching, I could add CNROM support to the builder.

I didn't realize that any of the mappers supporting CHR banking lack PRG banking, so having access to CHR banking would be a trade-off for having half the total PRG size. That seems like a fair trade. I'll be sticking to UNROM for the 64KB.

Mapper 28 does support it, although you'd have to juggle modes via writes to $5000. It's just that tepples's multicart assembling tool only supports the 90% case formed from NROM/UNROM/BNROM/ANROM right now.

You could also target MMC1 with CHR banking set to the 8KB mode and use that during development if the emulators you use don't support mapper 28, and switch it over once your game is all debugged and finished.

Edit: Though you would probably need to use CHR ROM, and switch it over to CHR RAM.

My "main game" uses mapper #3 with 32kb PRG and 32kb CHR, 64kb in total. Is that ok ? It does not switch rapidly CHR-ROM with the screen on, so a CHR-RAM conversion would be possible and the game would take even less space, as there is significant repeat between the CHR-ROM banks.

I thought the categories clear, but maybe I don't understand who's an authority here.

I'm a bit unclear on this myself. I know InfiniteNESlives is an authority. I'm not sure if tepples is involved as a contest official or rather on the side of a contestant/general contributor of tools and knowledge. NEShomebrew, I am entirely unfamiliar with, but it appears as of they were an official of sorts to the old Compo.

Clarification on this matter could be helpful especially for newer members such as myself.

I thought the categories clear, but maybe I don't understand who's an authority here.

I'm a bit unclear on this myself. I know InfiniteNESlives is an authority. I'm not sure if tepples is involved as a contest official or rather on the side of a contestant/general contributor of tools and knowledge. NEShomebrew, I am entirely unfamiliar with, but it appears as of they were an official of sorts to the old Compo.

Clarification on this matter could be helpful especially for newer members such as myself.

For the first competition, people kept bringing it up but no one wanted to organize it. I volunteered, eventually got the website up, maintain the email account, and organize the voting etc. InfiniteNESLives volunteered his time and services with the creation of the cartridges, managing the financial aspect of the competition, and general organizing. Tepples has combined the previous entries for the multi-carts.

Other people have also helped in the past, in one way or another. The unique thing about this contest is that pretty much anyone who wants to help can. There was help with label artwork/manuals, and in the first competition we had a panel of judges, and of course any and all suggestions are always considered. For the most part people haven't had a whole lot of suggestions in the past, so having a couple of main organizers making the final decisions seemed to help.

As I take it, the community is the authority. I like to consider myself more of an organizer, not the authority. Ultimately decisions do need to be made though. I try my best to make organize everything based on input from the forum. Best way I've found thus far is to post plans publicly prior to making final decisions. Sometimes it's consensus by crickets, other times a wide spectrum of input is received and we try to appeal to the masses as best we can. Everyone's input and comments are welcome and valued.

_________________If you're gonna play the Game Boy, you gotta learn to play it right. -Kenny Rogers

Just to clarify:there is a competition going on, you can start whenever you want as long is you finish before the 31st of Jan (right?)You can use N-ROM 128 or 256 whatever.Anything goes, you can decide on a theme yourself (for the uncreative among us here's one: Spaghetti Western, and another: Chinese Tea Masters)

So. Is this thread the announcement? Or should we make an announcement page of sorts? Where you can find the submissions easily?

I offer myself up to do make a small site where you can submit your entry.

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